Force not solution to Boko Haram – ACF

The Northern socio-political group, the Arewa Consultative Forum, on Thursday, told the Federal Government that force was not the solution to the Boko Haram challenge, submitting that dialogue remained the most viable option for ending activities of the violent Islamic sect.

“It is very heartening to hear President Goodluck Jonathan say the security agents have been foiling attacks by Boko Haram of recent.

“But this does not vitiate the need for dialogue as a viable option. This is because there has been a precedent in which President Umaru Yar’Adua used force and killed 700 members of the sect and their leader but Boko Haram has remained unbowed,” spokesman for the ACF, Mr. Anthony Sani, said in an interview with one of our correspondents in Kaduna.

The ACF National Publicity Secretary said the insurgence by Boko Haram could not be stopped with force.

The group’s position was in a reaction to comments by Jonathan and a ranking senator from the North-East, Buka Ibrahim.

The President had on Sunday in Abuja said that the security challenge confronting the country would soon be a thing of the past, and that plans by the Boko Haram sect to launch attacks during the Christmas period were foiled.

But Ibrahim had in an interview with journalists on Monday said that dialogue remained the best option.

“In terms of security, dialogue still remains the best. It is not the only way out, but I believe it still remains the best,” he had stated.

Commenting on the dialogue option, the ACF said the revelation that bomb attempts were allegedly foiled during the festive period did not defeat the need for dialogue.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government is to spend N24.1bn on internal security operations for the armed forces in the 2013 fiscal year. The sum exceeds the N16.4bn allocated to police formations across the country by N7.7bn.

The soldiers’ provision consists of N16.107bn earmarked as “Operations-internal for Armed Forces” and N8bn for the payment of Nigerian Army Quick Response Group, including arrears as captured in the 2013 budget passed by the National Assembly.

Members of the Nigerian Armed Forces are currently engaged in several internal security operations, including membership of Joint Task Forces fighting kidnapping in the South- East; oil bunkering in the South-South and Boko Haram in the North.

Our correspondent reports that the N24.1bn for internal security is separate from the N64.013bn budgeted for Defence, including the Ministry of Defence, the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, and the Nigerian Navy.

In a reaction to the sum allocated to soldiers’ involvement in internal security, a retired Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, said the increased internal security role being given to the military was unhealthy for democracy.

Tsav argued that the Nigerian public was gradually being groomed to further disrespect the police, which, he said, were better trained to handle matters of internal security.

According to him, the sum budgeted for soldiers’ intervention in internal security would have been better applied to strengthening the police through training and provision of equipment.

He said, “The job that the military is doing within Nigeria today is essentially that of the police. If the police had been properly equipped and given additional training they would do the job so that the military concentrate on their constitutionally assigned role of protecting us against external aggression.

“The allowance that these military men are getting for their operations in trouble spots like Yobe and Borno states is too much; if the military can assist in properly manning our porous borders it will stop the smuggling of weapons which fuel these crises.

“What is happening today reminds me of the Abacha era when certain individuals in government did terrible things in the name of the National Democratic Coalition just to get money out of the system.”

Tsav’s opinion tallies with that of the Convener of the Northern Politicians, Academics and Professionals, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, who similarly said the role being given to the military in internal security was dangerous for democracy.

Junaid argued that the preference given to the military, especially the Army in funding to carry out internal security operations should be a source of concern to all lovers of democracy.

Junaid said, “First, I do not believe this administration is being sincere with the figures being brandished about.

The figures are clearly understated, they are lying with statistics. It indicates a dangerous trend.

“A situation where soldiers are in charge of areas that constitutionally they have no business in does not in anyway help to entrench democracy.

“Today, we have a chief of Army staff who is actively involved in domestic security policy, and taking political decisions, including decisions on how much he wants to spend on operations, is certainly not healthy.

“In functional democracies, the military should be seen to be effectively under civilian control while the Police are given preference in funding to carry out internal security functions.

“This is so because, the police are more approachable by their training to interact with the civil populace.

“The Shagari administration did that effectively by properly equipping the police with water cannons and Armoured Personnel Carriers and the like which the military took when they overthrew his government.”

U faceless boko haram, let it be clear to u that you are destroying the future of your nation Arewa today. U faceless destroyers-boko haram that surrounded the government of GEJ have a grand master plan of destroying the future of your innocent children. The law of calmer must surely catch up with you.The Nigerian citizens are the most unpatriotic in the world.

Agboola Oladele

Ok

FALOLA OPEYEMI

I think jonathan should realized this on time so that he will not continue to spend major part of the budget that could have been used to provide employments and construct infractructures on seecurity alone. I pray God will help u GEJ.

Banji-F

Any means that will solve the boko haram insurgency is a welcome one. However, is those criticizing GEJ for using force know that dialogue will solve the problem let them talk to boko haram to stop and Nigerians will take them serious otherwise all this talk will seem to be that they are sympathetic with boko haram.

Tony Aneni

Dialogue with a faceless group

blow

Ppl like Tsav contributed to the rot we have in npf today while he was cp at Lagos. Police are ineffective and this is obvious

blow

When army arrests bh, police simply set them free

mike

Look at the ugly he-goat!

BBC

BOKO HARAM STARTED THEIR BARBARIC ATTACK ON INNOCENT NIGERIANS WITHOUT ANY REASON,NEGOTIATING WITH MORONS LIKE THAT IS A LETDOWN AND SETBACK FOR THE COUNTRY,THEY MUST BE CRUSHED DOWN WITH MAXIMUM FORCE.HOW CAN YOU REASON WITH UNREASONABLE PEOPLE.HOW ABOUT NIGERIA SURRENDER AND ALLOW BOKO HARAM TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE WHOLE COUNTRY??? THAT IS A GOOD REASONING.ALL OF YOU IN SUPPORT OF TALKS WITH BOKO HARAM ARE NOT THINKING STRAIGHT.

Salman Farisi

The problem with our FG is that most of the actors are only in government for what they’ll get in material terms.

effi

democracy my foot!if army intervention would wipe out BH in nigeria,any amount can be spent on the army to dealt with the faceless monsters.i dont think this will affect the police not to do their work.those who kick against involving armies in internal security how many of thier relations involved in 2012 BH casualties?i sugest that army should be effectively involved in maintaining peace in this nation in 2013.

Taiwo Olubanwo

This man should just tell the whole Nigeria how best we should talk to a faceless bunch of idiots who are deliberately messing up the entire Northern Nigeria that we so much love to visit from the west……We can never travel on holidays to the North anymore in our lives, period! The North still remains the major casualty of BH, period!! The Ojukwu Ndigbo War took the Ibo backwards by just 70 years, but this BH will take the Arewa Backwards by 90years. Who then is at a loss? It can never be their targett, the Church of God, which is the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of truth, period!!!…..

kunle

Taiye you have said it all in this write-up@ “This man should just tell the whole Nigeria how best we should talk to a faceless bunch of idiots who are deliberately messing up the entire Northern Nigeria that we so much love to visit from the west…(1) We can never travel on holidays to the North anymore in our lives, period! (2) The North still remains the major casualty of BH, period!! The Ojukwu Ndigbo War took the Ibo backwards by just 70 years, but this BH will take the Arewa Backwards by 90years. Who then is at a loss? (3) It can never be their targett, the Church of God, which is the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of truth, period!!!…

Easy

I could not stop laughing about your take on the civil war “Ojukwu Ndigbo war”. It shows a certain elegance in stupidity and ignorance.

Joe

any Bh arrested should be shot, the will soon reduce , the borders closed , are sure its working???

Nwoye Igweagu

You in the ACF laid the foundation for BH by frustrating the future of the Northern youths . You monopolised Nigeria economy as “commanding parasites” for 39 year only to spend the money on prostitutes and under aged women. Now find the solution to BH by proving education , employment and general life supporting amenities which you deliberately denied your people since.

John

The vacuous, clueless, dumb and crapulent president must take the blame for the mayhem unleashed by Boko Haram. As the second citizen, he should have realised that Yar’Adua, like Shagari, moved against murders as part of their constitutional obligation to protect innocent Nigerians. Surprisingly, when the murderous gang raised its head again in 2010 after being clamped down on by Yar’Adua, Jonathan, for whatever reason (discredit Yar’Adua or woo the group to join the PDP vote rigging machinery?), opted for dialogue with a ‘faceless group’ according to him. When he sent Obj with N100 million of taxpayers’ money to the family of the slain leader of the group, the beneficiaries were known. He went further to say he would not crush the gang as its members are his siblings. He (ignorantly) gave full presidential support to the group by allowing it all the time it needed to recruit, build up arms and consolidate, thus overwhelming our lazy security agencies. It acquired bomb making outfits, and the president and security agencies, indulging in full-time looting, did not pay any attention to the group. Jonathan chose a position of weakness by asking the group to make demands. When the group felt it was operating from a position of strength, it went bombing churches, police and military barracks. All Jonathan did was to beef up security around himself with a third battalion of brigade of guards. Had he copied and pasted Shagari and Yar’Adua’s formula, the group would have fizzled away. Each time the group struck, he made stupid utterances like condemning the killings and vowing to bring culprits to book, being on top of looting situation, assuring and reassuring Nigerians of maximum insecurity, etc. Last year he voted N921 billion for security which ended up as part of his secret asset declaration while we suffered insecurity. One new-year day, probably only slightly drunk, he said the group has to be wiped out for being bent on taking over Abuja and sending him into hiding (alive), but did not give a damn when the population was being decimated. If the victims of Boko Haram had the choice of going into hiding, I am sure Jonathan would think they would have agreed to die. Drunken ignoramus!

OTITO KORO (TRUTH IS BITTER)

I see those coming out to say dialogue with Boko Haram as part of the sect. How can you dialogue with a facelss sect? Arewa does not want the goverment to use force despite the human and material wastages caused by the group in that regiona?

The southerner in the north should come back home and leave the backward set of people to their fate. Even when they know the sponsors of the peolple, they will always be saying “sai baabaa”or “ranka deh deh”to them while they are killing their relations. I thank God for creating me a Yoruba man.

The government should employe any means to stop this Boko Haram madness.

Ralph Gbenga, UK

What or rather where is ‘home’? Some of these so called southerners have been born and bred in north, and the north is the only place they know. Must we all run away from the east or the south-south because of kidnapping? The solution is for us to say ‘No’ to these murderers and killers for disrupting our ways of life.

On the other hand, I have read and heard GEJ saying that BH will be stopped before. He should be sensitive to making unfounded statement and should show command of events when he says things like that. People listen and regard things the president say! He should always be measured with his utterances.

You cannot dialogue with terrorist from the position of weakness. The sect will only dialogue when that are weaken and know they cannot achieve there objectives when the full force of the law is always chasing them or ahead of them. This is what happened to the IRA in the UK. It is only a matter of time. But I say, the majority of the northern elite are way to quiet on this matter. I can only imagine the barrage of criticism the sect would have faced if operating from the southwest region. They would have been pointed out and located in no time.

akayadede

Dialogue with murderes theses people think through they anus. You guys has lost the battle one can feel they despair in your talks of dialogue.

olowo66

@John thanks you hav said all,i believed in one things nothing is permanent if they believed that today they are in power,tomorrow is there they will leave and face insecurity.

fideliseze

The situation at moment in Nigeria does not warrant the police alone because time and time the police have prooved incapable of policing Nigeria.Everybody knows that so advising the military to stay out of internal security at moment is a wrong advise.Again about dialouge with the boko haram,the people asking for dialouge should first bring out those boko haram to be dialouged because govt. cannot dialouge with the people they do not know. and again we must remember that now the boko haram have so many factions so the advisers should know this and do not just advise for the sake of advise.Which of the factions shall the gov t. dialouge with? This is a question we must ask ourselves and give answer to ourselves also.

Johny

WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE SAYING? BOKO HARAM IS EXTERNAL AGRESSION THREATINING THE SOVEREIGNTY OF NIGERIA VIA ALQUEDA ENROUT THE MAGREB. THE MILITARY IS TRAINED TO WARD OF AGRESSORS.

Nijaborn

Military option for crushing BH is the best from GEJ so far and he must not relent from pursuing it to a logical conclusion no matter the cost.
Enough of this insult from Boko Haram and its sponsors.
God bless Nigeria

Nijaborn

Military option for crushing Boko Haram is the best from GEJ so far and he must not relent from following it to a logical conclusion.
Enough of this insult of the Nigerian people by Boko Haram and its sponsors.
God bless Nigeria

Efes

No to dialogue. Solution to Boko Haram menace is for the 12 sharia states of the north to be granted Arewa Republic. Through various acts, the religious and some political leaders in the 12 states have been demonstraining their disdain for One Nigeria.

John

The vacuous, clueless, dumb and crapulent president must take the blame for the mayhem unleashed by Boko Haram. As the second citizen, he should have realised that Yar’Adua, like Shagari, moved against murders as part of their constitutional obligation to protect innocent Nigerians. Surprisingly, when the murderous gang raised its head again in 2010 after being clamped down on by Yar’Adua, Jonathan, for whatever reason (discredit Yar’Adua or woo the group to join the PDP vote rigging machinery?), opted for dialogue with a ‘faceless group’ according to him. When he sent Obj with N100 million of taxpayers’ money to the family of the slain leader of the group, the beneficiaries were known. He went further to say he would not crush the gang as its members are his siblings. He (ignorantly) gave full presidential support to the group by allowing it all the time it needed to recruit, build up arms and consolidate, thus overwhelming our lazy security agencies. It acquired bomb making outfits, and the president and security agencies, indulging in full-time looting, did not pay any attention to the group. Jonathan chose a position of weakness by asking the group to make demands. When the group felt it was operating from a position of strength, it went bombing churches, police and military barracks. All Jonathan did was to beef up security around himself with a third battalion of brigade of guards. Had he copied and pasted Shagari and Yar’Adua’s formula, the group would have fizzled out. Each time the group struck, he made stupid utterances like condemning the killings and vowing to bring culprits to book, being on top of looting situation, assuring and reassuring Nigerians of maximum insecurity, etc. Last year he voted N921 billion for security which ended up as part of his secret asset declaration while we suffered insecurity. One new-year day, probably only slightly drunk, he said the group has to be wiped out for being bent on taking over Abuja and sending him into hiding (alive), but did not give a damn when the population was being decimated. If the victims of Boko Haram had the choice of going into hiding, I am sure Jonathan would think they would have agreed to die. Drunken ignoramus!

Spokesperson for the Senate Unity Forum, Senator Kabir Marafa, saying his colleagues passed a vote of confidence in Dr. Bukola Saraki’s senate leadership in order to spite President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress leadership.